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Brain Injury Unit
Royal Rehab’s Brain Injury Unit is a highly specialised service providing inpatient traumatic brain injury (TBI) specialist rehabilitation.
It is one of only three state-wide services in New South Wales dedicated to supporting adults with TBI and providing them with the necessary skills, function, and confidence to live life as independently as possible following injury.
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COVID-19 response
As the global COVID-19 health crisis descended, the BIU team displayed their unwavering commitment to the wellbeing of clients and providing outstanding care. The team was proactive and at the forefront of protecting both staff members, clients, and the wider community by continuing to monitor developments, take precautionary measures and follow the guidelines of relevant authorities including NSW Health. Strict NSW Health guidelines were followed including the use of personal protective equipment (PPE), maintaining strict social distancing rules, adhering to visitor restrictions, and having a rigorous infection control management procedure in place. It is testament to the unity and agility of the team that our facilities remained free from the dangerous and highly contagious virus.
Steady admissions
This year, we admitted 43 people with a newly acquired brain injury into our care. They remained in our care as inpatients for an average of 112 days. This represents an increase on previously reported length of stay and is primarily due to an increase in admission of clients with non-traumatic brain injury such as brain tumours which traditionally require longer periods of rehabilitation. The two most common causes of injury were road related trauma and falls, both responsible for approximately 30 per cent of all admissions. The majority of clients admitted were aged between 51 and 64 years. The vast majority at 65 per cent of admissions were male.
Wall of Fame
Each year during Brain Injury Awareness Week we celebrate the incredible journeys of some of our clients in a moving ceremony and immortalise their stories on our Wall of Fame to provide inspiration to others. In August 2019, we held our annual Wall of Fame Ceremony at the Royal Rehab Ryde campus. The ceremony was attended by over 150 delegates including our patrons, Her Excellency the Honourable Margaret Beazley AO QC, Governor of New South Wales, and Mr Dennis Wilson. As with prior years, the event was hosted by Nine News television presenter and journalist, Peter Overton who generously gives of his time. Six patients proudly became WOF ambassadors joining the coveted walls of the BIU ward. The event was a huge success and gained media coverage both online and on television via Nine News Sydney. Increasing attendance at this annual event has sent the organising committee back to the drawing board to devise a plan to welcome an even larger attendance for future events.
43
total admissions
112
average length of stay
57
average age of admissions
XX%
Road related trauma and falls most common reason for admission
65%
of admissions were male
Left: Her Excellency the Honourable Margaret Beazley AO QC, Governor of New South Wales, and Chairman Tony Staveley at the Wall of Fame.
Love of life... Returns For Caitlin
As the sun faded on a beautiful day on the Perisher snow fields, Caitlin and her friends decided to squeeze in one last run.
Left: BIU Client Caitlin on a bushwalk near her home. Caitlin paused to take in the magnificent view as her friends raced down the mountain, but that was the last she can recall of the run. She was later found unconscious and unable to move.
Airlifted to Canberra Hospital, Caitlin spent two and a half months as an inpatient. It was here that she was stabilised before being transferred to the Brain Injury Unit at Royal Rehab in September 2019. At the time, the left side of her body was paralysed and her ability to walk had significantly reduced. A person who was full of energy and embraced all that life had to offer, Caitlin was determined to rise to the challenge and get as much function back as possible. “I wanted to be able to walk properly, I wanted to be able to run, to eat, and to get back to netball and surfing,” said Caitlin. Having worked as a physiotherapist, in rehab no less, Caitlin was in a unique position to understand her situation professionally and personally as a patient. Looking back, Caitlin says she considers it a blessing in disguise. She spent two months at the BIU where she made use of a full multidisciplinary team of physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech pathology, dietetics, recreational therapy and more. After some time, Caitlin was back into the things she loves – running, playing netball, and swimming. She was soon discharged in November 2019. “It was incredible to progress in such a short period of time. The care I got at Royal Rehab was just phenomenal. I could not speak highly enough of the team there – it felt like a big family,” says Caitlin. As a physiotherapist, Caitlin learnt so much in more ways than one. “What stood out about Royal Rehab’s Brain Injury Unit, was just how kind and understanding the staff were. What was important for me was clearly important to them as I worked towards my goals,” said Caitlin. Today, Caitlin is back at work, using her personal experience in her daily practice. She even shares her story with her own patients to further support them in their progress. “My experience has really made a difference to how I treat people,” said Caitlin. As a self-proclaimed over-achiever, Caitlin has also used her unique experience to help other clinicians. She has spoken at university lectures, hosted some talks with the Stroke Foundation for health professionals and has recently launched her book, 16 in Sacramento, with plans to donate proceeds to Royal Rehab among others. “I want to use my experience to help make this information available for everyone. If I can help one person, it will all be worth it,” said Caitlin. “My advice to clients is to just work hard and put your head down. There’s light at the end of the tunnel.
